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Guards demand limits on the amount of cash carried, as well as bigger guns

Protest leader Mdumiseni Mabaso has urged the SAPS to be more visible and for firearm regulations to be amended to allow guards to carry higher-calibre guns

12 June 2018 - 13:27
Nonkululeko Njilo

Cash in transit security dance after handing over a memorandum against the heists that have been taking place in and around the country this year.
Picture: MASI LOSI

The Johannesburg city centre was brought to a standstill on Tuesday as thousands of workers gathered to call for the safety of cash-in-transit security guards.

The march‚ which was organised by the Federation of Unions of SA‚ was held to demand that guards be given more weapons to protect themselves against heavily armed robbers. In just 2018, the country has experienced about 160 heists in six months.

Protesters gathered in Braamfontein and moved through the city centre to deliver a memorandum at the Gauteng legislature.

Since the beginning of 2018, South Africa has seen a high number of cash-in-transit heists. Exactly how do these brazen gangs operate and manage to pull off a heist?

Protest leader Mdumiseni Mabaso urged the South African Police Service (SAPS) to be more visible and called for firearm regulations to be amended to allow guards to carry higher-calibre weapons.

Mabaso also urged the governor of the Reserve Bank to ensure that limits are placed on the amounts of cash transported at one time in each vehicle."

CIT employees march through Durban to protest against Cash In Transit Heists. Picture: JACKIE CLAUSEN

Andisa Mzingayi‚ a security officer at Fidelity Cash Solutions‚ told TimesLIVE: "We are calling on Ramaphosa’s government to do something about our safety‚ because we are the first suspects when there’s a robbery, and that is traumatic."

Mzingayi said the workers were not only raising awareness around their safety‚ but were also unhappy about working unarmed. Mabaso said they were demanding a minimum salary of R20‚000 per month.

The memorandum was received and signed by Sonnyboy Mmatli on behalf of safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane.

Mmatli committed to meeting various stakeholders to address the workers’ grievances within 14 working days.